Bloomberg, Gates, Others Pledge $1.2 Billion to Eradicate Polio
The Global Polio Eradication Initiative has announced public and private pledges totaling $1.2 billion in support of efforts to eradicate polio, including $450 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The commitment from the foundation includes $300 million for a two-to-one match of Rotary International's pledge to raise $50 million annually for each of the next three years. The funds will be used to support immunization and surveillance activities aimed at eradicating polio in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan — the three countries where it remains endemic — and ensuring that other countries remain polio-free. Other commitments announced at GPEI's Rotary convention on Monday include $30 million from the Dalio Foundation, $25 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies, $75 million from Canada, $61.4 million from the European Commission, $55 million from Japan, $30 million from the United Arab Emirates, and $5 million from easyJet. . .